Panthers Draft: Smart Picks, No-Frills

0:00It's April 27th. This is NFL News Today, powered by AI tracking teams, players, and standings. Carolina Panthers just wrapped their NFL draft, pulling in seven solid picks across the board, earning an A-grade from the experts. They grabbed offensive tackle Monroe Freeling from Georgia at 19 overall in the first round to protect Bryce Young, then snag defensive. Tackle Lee Hunter from Texas Tech at 49 in the second. Third round brought why receiver Chris Brazil, the second from Tennessee at 83, and they kept building with cornerback will lead the third. From Texas A&M at 129 in the fourth, shifting to the later rounds, they doubled up in the fifth with center Sam Hecht from Kansas State at 144, and safety Zeki Wheatley from Penn State at 151. Raptor with linebacker Jackson Cool Watch from Miami University at 227 in the seventh. Analysts call Wheatley the steal of the draft, a second round talent who fell way too far.

1:00Fans might gripe about the flash factor, but this class fits needs smartly, beaving up the line to keep young upright and adding weapons like that. Six foot four Brazil to explode the passing game. Hecht could anchor the interior for a decade, while those defensive backs address a glaring hole in the secondary. They skip pass rushers though, even with some available early, opting instead for day three flyers on defensive backs. Hunter was a slight reach, more like a late second or mid-thirth guy, but he's undervalued and fits perfect on that Texas Tech line. Bottom line, those fifth rounders Hecht and Wheatley are set to ball out, making this a sharp, no frills draft that sets the panthers up for real. Contention down the line.